Torsional vibration isolating coupling



.Fan- 26, 1954 R. w. GUERNSEY ET AL 2,667,049

TORSIONAL VIBRATION ISOLATING COUPLING Filed Feb. 2, 1950 :inventors w a, j w

Gttorneg srATss ATENT orrlcs TORSON AL VIBRATION ISOLATIN G COUPLING Robert W. Guernsey, Detroit, and Ray C. Ulrey, Livonia, Mich., assignors to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application February 2, 1950, Serial No. 142,046

3 Claims. (Cl. 64-19) ETE v l 2 The present invention relates to torsional vi- Figure 4 is a partial transverse View of a second b-ration absorbing couplings adapted to drive modification of the present invention. rotatable members relates more particularly Referring now more particularly to Figure l, 2 to such couplings using speed responsive frictionrepresents a rotating element which is subject to al elements. torsional vibration and particularly represents The elimination and/or minimizing of the effect a crankshaft of a multi-cylinder internal combusof torsional vibration has long been a diliicult tion engine. The shaft 2 has attached thereto problem with multiple cylinder high speed ena spur gear i which is subject to torsional vibragines. This problem is made more acute when tion together with the adjacent portion of the the element which is subject to torsional vibration m shaft 2. The small spur gear 8 is driven at high is used to drive a member having inertia charangulaivelocity by the gear 4 through an inacteristics whereby it acts as a seismic mass to retermediate idler gear 6. The gear 8 is rotatsist this vibration. Many of the prior attempts to ably mounted on a fixed shaft i8. The gear isolate torsional vibration have utilized frictional 3 is coupled to the gear l2 by means of the elements having a constant torque capacity. It is coupling which is the subject of the present inquite desirable that torsional vibration isolating vention and will be described more particularly elements haVe OIqllB-Cll'ylg Chaelsts in connection with Figures 2, 3 and 4. The spur which allow the isolation of the torsional vibragear l2 drives the supercharger blower rotor I6 tion but permit the transmission of the full N through a gear Il which is rigidly mounted on torque capacity of the driving element. L" a common shaft with the rotor le.

it S hGIS'GlE all ObjS Of the present lVeIl- Refel-ring 110W mre particularly to Figuyeg 2 tion to provide a torsional vibration absorbing and 3J the gear 3 has rigidly attached thereto a Coupling which allows relative movement becollar member I8 with weighted arms 2c pivotally tiveen the coupled elements for low phase angle z attached thereto by means of pivots 22. The difference but mereasinsly resists relative meveweighted arms 2c have convex shoes 2c which ein ment aS the Dbase angle increases. gage the concave portions 25 of the drum 2i? which It is a further object of the present invention to drum is rigidly attached to the gear l2. It may provide a commercial torsional vibration isolatthus be geen that the torque-carrying capacity of ills 601110111@ Il WhCh the Ol'Clll-Clyilg Cathe coupling depends upon the effective mass hay iS lmClJOl Of DhaSS angle between the of the pivoted members 2G, the speed of rotacoupled members. tion of this system and on the position of the It is a further object of the present invention 511085 2s in the concave surface 2S. to provide a torsional oscillation isolating cou- Referring more particularly to the second modp'l WIGS@ torque-Carrying @@Davcty S a Sfillad ification of the present invention shown in Figfultiol 0f the angular VCICCY Of the mmbes 35 ure ll, the collar i8 has radial cylindrical portions being @willed and 3 pfedeel ined full@ 0n 0f 3S in which Weighted pistons 32 may reciprocate. the 13b-35 angl@ bell/Veen these membe5 The pistons 32 carry at their outer extremity iS 2L further 01018015 0f the DTSenl invention thereof convex shoes 34 which engage the conto provide a torsional oscillation isolating cou Cave Surfaces 23 of the drum 23 which drum is pling which is economical to produce and simple 40 rigidly attached to the gear l2. in Opere-121011. It may thus be seen that in either modificaiS all-Gille? ObJ'GCt 0f the present DVSDOD t0 tion of the present invention, the torque-carrying provide a friction coupling in which the terquecapacity of the coupling depends upon its speed carrying capacity is a function of speed and of rotation, the mass of the Weighted members Dba-Se angle of the coupled members. which is eifective to exert pressure on the sur- Other objects of this invention will become face 26 and upon the position on the concave apparent ulOn reading the specification and insurface at which this force is exerted. Any despection 0i the drawing and will be particularly sired clamping may be obtained by choosing sur- '.OOIGOL Olli? in the Claims. face material for 24 and 26 which has the proper Figure l is a general arrangement cross seC- coeicient of friction. Thus it vvill be seen that tional view showing the present invention used as the collar I8 is caused to oscillate due to the in a supercharger drive. torsional vibration of the shaft 2, the connection Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross sectional View through the engaging surfaces 2t and 24 or 34 of one modification of the present invention. will tend to isolate the torsIonal vibratlon allow- Figure 3 is a transverse partial cross sectional 55 ing the member I8 to oscillate through a small view oi one modication of the invention. amplitude of oscillation While driving the gear l2 and the associated blower i6 at a substantially uniform angular velocity.

It is to be understood also that although the invention has been described with specific reference to a particular embodiment thereof, it is not to be so limited, since changes and alterations therein may be made which are within the full intended scope of this invention as defined by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A flexible coupling for rotatable members including: a driving member, a driven member; one of said members having an internal surface including a series of concave friction surfaces whose centers of radii of curvature lie between the center of rotation of said member andsaid surface, said other member being formed to provide a plurality of peripherally spaced elementsprojecting radially therefrom, a plurality of arms pivotally connected at one end to said elements, said pivots lying outside the center of radii of said members, said arms having enlarged weighted portions rigidly formed thereon remote from said pivots, said portions being provided with convex friction surfaces of smaller radii of curvature than said concave surfaces and capable of frictionally engaging said concave surfaces to permit the transmission of driving torque therebetween, the frictional forces between said convex and said concave surfaces being of Such magnitude as to cause torsional damping, said arms being movable about said' pivots to positions abutting said other member intermediate their respective pivots and enlarged portions, the enlarged portions of said arms being adaptecto vengage with said concave surfaces in said abutting positions to rigidly transmit torque between said members.

2. In a torsional vibration absorbing coupling which includes a driving member, a driven member concentrically disposed with respect to said driving member, a plurality of concave surfaces formed internally of said driven member, said surfaces being equi-distantly spaced from the axis of rotation of said members, and a plurality of arms p-ivotally supported at one end upon the periphery of said driving member, said arms having enlarged weighted portions formed at the non-pivoted end thereof, the enlarged portion of each of said arms being adapted to coact with one of said concave surfaces to drivingly engage said driven member so as to normally permit a limited relative oscillation between said members, each of said enlarged arm portions being provided with a convex surface which slidingly engages the corresponding concave surface on said driven member whereby the frictional contact between said concave and said convex surfaces dampens the oscillation between said driving and driven members, said arms being movable about said pivots to positions abutting said driving member intermediate their respective pivots and enlarged portions, the convex surfaces of said arms being adapted to non-slidingly engage said concave surfaces in said abutting position to rigidly transmit torque between said members.

3. In a torsional vibration absorbing coupling which includes a driving member, a driven member concentrically disposed with respect to said driving member, a plurality of concave surfaces circumferentially formed on one of said members, said surfaces being 'equi-distantly spaced from the axis of rotation of said members, and a plurality of arms pivotally supported at one end upon the other of said members, said arms having enlarged weighted portions formed at the non-pivoted end thereof, the enlarged portion of each of said arms being adap-ted to coact with one of said concave surfaces to drivingly engage said driven member so as to permit a limited relative oscillation between said members, each of said enlarged arm portions being provided with a convex surface which slidingly engages the corresponding concave surface on said other member whereby the frictional. contact between said concave and said convex surfaces dampens the oscillation between said driving and driven members, said arms being movable about said pivots to positions abutting said other member intermediate their rcspective pivots and enlarged portions, the convex surfaces of said arms being adapted to non-slidingly engage said concave surfaces in said abutting positions to rigidly transmit torque between said members.

ROBERT W. GUERNSEY. RAY C. ULREY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,116,192 Draminsky May 3, 1938 2,144,089 Stageberg Jan. 17, 1939 2,146,717 Berger Feb. 14, 1939 FUREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 226,736 Germany 1910 

